COVID-19 Health Screening Questions
(1) Do you have any new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 including:

• Fever (100.4 degrees or higher), or chills:
• Cough or sore throat;
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
• Fatigue;
• Muscle pain or body aches;
• Headache;
• New loss of taste or smell;
• Congestion or runny nose; or
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea?

(2) Within the last 10 days, have you:

• Had moderate or severe COVID-19 illness (shortness of breath)?

(3) Within the last 5 days, have you:

• Been diagnosed with COVID-19?

If you answer YES to any of the self-screening questions, please contact the hearing office using the phone number at the top of your notice of hearing. We will reschedule you for an in-person hearing at a later date, or we can schedule a telephone or online video hearing if that works best for you.

General Information
We resumed in office service in March 2022.
The resumption of in-office service in our hearing offices includes the following protocols in each of our offices which our visitors must adhere:

• Follow COVID-19 self-screening requirements.
• Wear a face mask, including during hearings.
• Maintain a distance of 6 feet from SSA employees.
• Consider physical distancing and avoid crowding if COVID-19 community levels are medium or high.

What to Expect and How to Prepare for an In-Person Hearing
You must follow certain health and safety guidelines when you come to our office for your scheduled hearing. These include:

• Review the COVID-19 health screening questions. The questions also will be posted on the door of the hearing office. If you answer “yes” to any of the self-screening questions, please contact the hearing office handling your case right away. We will reschedule you for an in-person hearing at a later date, or we can schedule a telephone or online video hearing if that works best for you.
• Upon arrival to the office, please follow the instructions on the signage on the hearing office door. Please, do not arrive more than 15 minutes before your hearing time and be prepared to wait outside until others leave the office.
• You will be required to wear a face mask while in our office, including during the hearing. If you are unable to wear a face mask, please contact the hearing office right away to make alternate arrangements for your hearing. If you do not have a face mask, we will provide you with one.
• You will be asked to adhere to certain physical distancing requirements from employees in the office and in the hearing room.
• During the hearing, you may be seated behind a plastic barrier in the hearing room.

If you are unable to wear a face mask, please contact the office handling your case right away to make alternate arrangements for your hearing. The phone number of the hearing office handling your case is located at the top of the letters we send you. You can also find hearing office phone numbers on our hearing office locator site by visiting the SSA Hearings and Appeals Website at https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/ho_locator.html.

If you forget to bring a face mask, we will provide you with one.

You can contact the hearing office handling your case in advance, so they can make appropriate arrangements. The phone number of the hearing office handling your case is located at the top of the letters we send you. You can also find hearing office phone numbers on our hearing office locator site by visiting the SSA Hearings and Appeals Website at https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/ho_locator.html.

The telephone and online video hearing options are available should you not feel comfortable about attending an in-person hearing.

Please contact the hearing office handling your case right away if you answer “yes” to any of the health screening questions. We will reschedule you for an in-person hearing at a later date, or we can hold a telephone or online video hearing if that works best for you.

The hearing office phone number appears on the top right corner of any letter we sent you about your scheduled hearing. You can also visit our https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/ho_locator.html to find the address, phone number, or fax number of your local SSA hearing office.

No, the representative/claimant rooms in our hearing offices are not available. We recommend representatives meet with their clients in advance of their hearing date at another location to prepare for the hearing.